When Prince Albert’s-own Miller Contracting was first approached by the people working with Mike Holmes to become certified under their program, they were skeptical at first.

Mike Holmes, one of Canada’s favourite handy men, is on a mission to change the home building industry by promoting stricter regulations and better-built homes around the country. Those same initiatives are also important to the folks at Miller Contracting, and so they saw an opportunity to work with the Mike Holmes team to promote better industry practices.

It’s work Dan Yungwirth, general manager with Miller Contracting is already doing. As a board member with the Prince Albert Construction Association and the newest Chair of the city’s Housing Advisory Committee, Yungwirth has already been working with others in the industry to improve building practices. Yungwirth sits on the board for the Provincial Council of the Canadian Home Builders Association – Saskatchewan and was named Chair of the city’s Housing Advisory Committee last fall. Read more about it here.

As Miller Contracting’s General Manager, Yungwirth says he and his team often see poorly-built homes in Prince Albert, which can lead to additional costs for the homeowner. He cites an example of one local home whose owners hired Miller Contracting to repair a rotting wall. Just six years after it was built, a wall in the home had rotted due to the contractor’s failure to use proper flashing during construction.

While price is a significant factor for homeowners when choosing a contractor, Yungwirth said going with the cheapest bid can end up costing you more. He also advises homeowners to check references and sign a written contract before building.

“Homeowners should be going to professional builders who know their stuff. We need better quality housing out there,” Yungwirth adds.

“Professionalism in the industry needs to be improved. The consumer needs some protection in this industry.”

Miller Contracting recently completed their first HOLMES Approved home in Prince Albert. The owners of the new 936-square-foot custom home received their keys in December. More about Prince Albert’s first HOLMES Approved home can be found by clicking here.

“It just shows that we are committed to professionalism in home building. I’m not opposed to competition, but as a business owner in this community, we do not have a level playing field in the home building industry,” Yungwirth adds.

“We’ve always strived and prided ourselves on building a good quality product.”

Some of the company’s most recent projects include the long-awaited Willow View development on the city’s east side. Miller Contracting took over after the previous developer went bankrupt, turning the development into affordable living units. The first tenants are set to move in soon.

Miller Contracting is also working on the River Breeze development, a 56-bed assisted living facility along River Street. The development is slated to open later this year. And while the housing market has slowed over the last year, Miller Contracting still has several custom home builds on the go along with their condo projects. The City of Prince Albert recently announced a new discount program in response to the slowdown in the housing market. More details on that can be found here.

Yungwirth said there is still a lot of interest right now in 1,200 to 1,300 square foot bi-level homes with attached garages. Multi-family homes such as duplexes and town homes are also popular. Visit millercontracting.ca/ to learn more about the company and their projects.

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